CALGARY – Flights will soon be touching down again on the West Runway at YYC Calgary International Airport after a complete rebuild over two years. One of two main runways at YYC, the reconstructed West Runway is stronger, more durable and more sustainable, planned and built for at least 40 additional years of growing passenger and cargo traffic.

“This is critical infrastructure,” says Calgary Airports’ President and CEO Chris Dinsdale. “We forecast that our passenger volumes could increase up to 40 per cent within the next five years. Everything we build now is made to meet that moment, to elevate passenger experience, and to make our operations more efficient and sustainable. The comprehensive work on the West Runway achieves all of that.”

The original West Runway was built in 1939. Over the decades, as YYC Calgary International Airport expanded, aircraft were built heavier and faster, and flights became more frequent, so the runway infrastructure was nearing the end of its lifecycle. YYC is now the fourth busiest airport in Canada, the home hub for WestJet, and a key economic driver for the city and the region.

The rehabilitation project began with shovels in the ground in April, 2024. With flights diverted to other runways while work was undertaken through two construction seasons, the project was planned around several conservation initiatives. These included a water re-use program that saved close to two million litres of potable water, and recycling of more than 90 per cent of materials including asphalt, concrete, and electrical fixtures. The West Runway is one of the first airport projects in Canada to achieve Envision Framework certification for sustainable infrastructure.

With general contractor PCL Construction, the project was also completed under budget and with a near-perfect safety record, without diminishing airfield capacity.

The work on the West Runway was made possible in part by funding from the Government of Canada through Transport Canada. $57.5M was awarded as part of the Airport Critical Infrastructure program. The remaining $142.5M was fully funded by Calgary Airports.